[full]Following the controversy generated over about $20 billion missing oil money, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, raised fresh concern over the rate at which public funds are missing in Nigeria, especially the oil sector.
He insisted that the issue of account for missing oil money must be resolved publicly in the interest of the generality of Nigerians.
This is even as the Lebanese community in Nigeria presented a cheque for N80 million and trucks worth N20 million to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, as part of its contribution towards improving security in the state.
Fashola, who spoke during a courtesy visit by the Lebanese community, led by the Consul General of Lebanon in Nigeria, Ms. Dima Haddad at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja, decried the rate at which public funds were being mismanaged in the country without recourse to accountability.
According to him; “one could imagine what such fund would have done in boosting security.
“The tragedy of our nation is that while we are debating whether we have accounted for $20 or $10 billion oil money or not, ordinary citizens are contributing to fund the responsibility of government.
“It hurts me because one could only wonder and imagine what $10 billion will do for the police, what it will do in terms of vehicles, trucks and equipments? We hope that things get better.
“The issue of account for that money must be resolved publicly in the interest of the citizens of this great country. And it is a debate that all of us must participate in, peacefully, we will resolve it whether $20 or $10 billion, we must know where that money ended up.
“Everyone who has duty including the Minister for Petroleum must speak up now. We want to know what happened to that money”.
The governor lauded the Lebanese community for the donation saying, “This will be one important block in the security architecture that the state is building”.
Speaking earlier, Haddad explained that the donation was made in the name of the Lebanese business community as part of gesture in appreciating Lagos State in particular and Nigeria in general.
According to her, “this country has allowed our Lebanese citizens to establish businesses which have afforded them the opportunity to contribute to the country’s economy”.[/full]